Batman Returns: Michael Keaton Reflects On Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman
Batman Returns star Michael Keaton has recently reflected on co-star Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman. Keaton first donned the cape-and-cowl in Tim Burton's Batman in 1989 before returning for its sequel with Pfeiffer in Batman Returns. Originally a controversial choice due to his previous comedic work, Keaton quickly won over critics and fans alike and became the definitive Batman for a generation. Keaton is set to return to the role in the upcoming DCEU films Batgirl, starring Leslie Grace, and The Flash, starring Ezra Miller, both picking up where Batman Returns left off.
Unlike Keaton, Pfeiffer's casting as Catwoman was met with immediate praise. In Batman Returns, the actor played Selina Kyle, a down-on-her-luck secretary for villain Max Schreck (Christopher Walken). After he nearly kills her by pushing her out of a window, Kyle is miraculously revived by dozens of cats, becoming reborn as the feline-inspired anti-hero. She uses her new persona to destroy Schreck's businesses and exact her revenge on her former employer.
In a recent email (via THR), Keaton has reflected on his Batman Returns co-star's distinctive portrayal of Catwoman. Keaton showered Pfeiffer with praise for her role as the on-again-off-again Batman villain and romantic interest. "She pulled off the almost impossible combo of sexy, ironic, tragic, dangerous and just plain good," he said.
Pfeiffer's latex-clad version of Catwoman is confident and overtly sexual. Although she carries a whip and dons claws on her fingers, her appeal is her primary weapon of choice to disorient her opponents before taking them out. Although Batman Returns was not as well-received by critics or fans as its predecessor, Pfeiffer's performance was singled out as one of its strong points. When recently asked if she would return to the role of Catwoman, as Keaton had with Batman for a number of upcoming DCEU films, Pfeiffer explained that she would consider the opportunity if the context was right.
Pfeiffer is one of many actresses who have portrayed Catwoman in a live-action role since the 1960s when Julie Newmar was first cast as the cat burglar in 1966's Batman television series starring Adam West. Pfeiffer joined a long line of Catwomen, including Lee Meriwether, Eartha Kitt, Halle Berry, Anne Hathaway, and, most recently, Zoë Kravitz, who has currently stepped into the role in The Batman opposite Robert Pattinson. As Keaton can attest, Pfeiffer's iconic performance in Batman Returns stands out as one of the best and most unique portrayals of Catwoman in Batman film history.
Source: THR